The EU announced early this year that Individual jams, butter and other individual plastic packets would be banned, similarly to the ban now being announced in Australia | Credit: Moving Moment/Shutterstock
As countries worldwide aim to become greener and more eco-friendly, individual packets distributed in restaurants are being increasingly banned. Australia is no exception as it presses forward with prohibiting the sale and distribution of the iconic fish-shaped soy sauce bottles.
“Each fish-shaped container is used for just seconds, yet remains in the environment for decades or centuries if littered,” Environment Minister and Deputy Premier for South Australia, Susan Close, said earlier this month. According to a BBC report, the iconic containers have become a staple in many Asian restaurants and takeaways worldwide. The fish-shaped soy sauce packets were invented by Teruo Watanabe in Japan in 1954. However, authorities have notified shops and businesses in South Australia that they can no longer sell or distribute them starting Monday, September 1.
The move builds on legislation passed in 2023 that banned supermarket carrier bags, plastic straws, drinks stirrers, cotton buds, and confetti, among other things. The South Australian government said it has a new policy to “reduce pollution, cut carbon emissions and protect marine life”. Australian officials said that, without action, the annual flow of plastic into the ocean would triple by 2040 to 29 million tonnes per year. Australia ranks seventh among 25 nations for its overall efforts to control plastic pollution, thanks to its initiatives in plastic waste management.
In April, as reported by viraltrendingcontent, Spain and the rest of the European Union banned the use of individual disposable plastic packets for jams, butters, olive oil, and vinegar in restaurants. The exact date the ban came into full force has not been precise, and EWN has confirmed that many restaurants still use them.
